Collapsible bed shampoo basin with throw away liner

ABSTRACT

An upwardly opening tray of generally rectangular configuration and including a bottom wall inclined toward one side of the tray. The side of the tray toward which the bottom wall is inclined is provided with an outlet neck into which fluids within the tray may readily drain by gravity and a liner of the throw away type and constructed of flexible material is provided. The liner is of the same plan shape as the tray so as to be seatingly receivable therein and also provided with a somewhat smaller diameter outlet neck which may be telescoped down into the outlet neck of the tray. In addition, the liner includes side wall portions of greater vertical extend which project above the side walls of the tray and may be folded outwardly and downwardly over the outer surfaces of the side walls of the tray.

ll'nited States Patent 91 Glintz 1 3,733,629 51 May 22,1973

[54] COLLAPSIBLE BED SHAMPOO BASIN 'WITH THROW AWAY LINER [76] Inventor: Georgia E. Glintz, 2909 University Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50311 [221 Filed: May 20,1911

[211 Appl. No.: 145,443

Primary Examiner-Carroll B. Dority, Jr. Attorney--Clarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacob- [57] ABSTRACT An upwardly opening tray of generally rectangular configuration and including a bottom wall inclined toward one side of the tray. The side of the tray toward which the bottom wall is inclined is provided with an outlet neck into which fluids within the tray may readily drain by gravity and a liner of the throw away type and constructed of flexible material is provided. The liner is of the same plan shape as the tray so as to be seatingly receivable therein and also provided with a somewhat smaller diameter outlet neck which may be telescoped down into the outlet neck of the tray. In addition, the liner includes side wall portions of greater vertical extend which project above the side walls of the tray and may be folded outwardly and downwardly over the outer surfaces of the side walls of the tray.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED 47132575 3. 733,620

SHEET 2 [IF 2 Georgia E. 6/117/2 COLLAPSIBLE BED SHAMPOO BASIN WITH THROW AWAY LINER The bed shampoo basin assembly of the instant invention includes a tray for receiving a flexible liner therein of the throw away type and the tray is con structed of a shape retaining material but a material that may be folded and/or collapsed under pressure. The side walls of the tray are sufficiently deformable to enable a person using the tray to lie down on her back with her neck passing over the upper edge of one side wall of the tray and her head disposed within the tray. The deformability of the side wall enables the latter to collapse under the weight of the users neck and to conform to the shape of the lower portion of the users neck so as to form a fluid-tight seal between the tray side wall and the undersurface portions of the neck of the user of the tray.

The bed shampoo basin assembly of the instant invention has been designed primarily for use in hospitals, but may also be utilized to advantage in convalescent homes and home sick rooms, as well as any time it becomesdesirable for a person confined to the bed to have her hair washed. The collapsible bed shampoo assembly is provided with a sanitary sterile liner of low cost construction so as to be of the throw away type after use. The liner may be constructed of any suitable light-weight fluid impervious material, such as plastic and the liner supporting tray portion of the bed shampoo assembly may also be constructed of any suitable form of resilient and at least somewhat deformable plastic material.

The main object of this invention is to provide an apparatus designed specifically to enable persons confined to bed to have their hair shampooed in a comfortable and efficient manner.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bed shampoo apparatus including a low cost throw away type liner for disposal after each usage of the assembly.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a bed shampoo basin assembly constructed in a manner enabling maximum comfort of the person to whom a head shampoo is being given.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a collapsible bed shampoo basin assembly in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof,

; wherein like numerals refer to likeparts throughout,

and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the collapsible bed shampoo basin assembly of the instant invention illustrated in use during the shampooing of a person disposed in the bed;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the sectional line 2-2 of FIG. 1

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the collapsible bed shampoo basin assembly;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bed shampoo basin assembly illustrated in a folded condition for storage and with the disposable liner removed; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the head supporting pad portion of the basin.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral llfl generally designates the collapsible bed shampoo basin assembly of the instant invention. In FIG. 1 of the drawings, the assembly 10 is illustrated in position on the mattress 12 of a bed 14 and with a person 16 disposed on the mattress 12 with her head resting within the basin assembly 10 and her neck 18 extending over and at least partially downwardly deflecting one side wall portion of the basin assembly 10.

From FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, it may be seen that the basin assembly 10 includes a tray referred to in general by the reference numeral 20, a liner referred to in general by the reference numeral 22 and a webshaped pad referred to in general by the reference numeral 24. The tray 20 and the pad 24 are constructed of light weight foam plastic or the like and the liner is constructed of light weight plastic sheeting or similar fluid impervious material. The tray 20 includes peripherally extending front and rear walls 26 and 28 interconnected at corresponding sides by means of upstanding side walls 3th and 32. The side wall 32 includes an integral outwardly extending and opening elongated flexible outlet neck 34 and the tray 20 further includes an integral inclined false bottom wall 36 inclined downwardly toward side wall 32 for draining by gravity through the outlet neck 34. Also, the tray 20 includes a lower horizontal bottom wall 37 roughened as at 37.

The liner 22 includes a front and rear wall 33 and 40 corresponding to the walls 26 and 2% as well as opposite side walls 42 and 44 corresponding to the side walls 30 and 32. However, the liner 22 includes an inclined bottom wall 46 and a flexible outlet neck 43 which opens outwardly from the lower marginal portion of the side wall 44 and is telescopingly receivable within the outlet neck 34. The liner 22 is constructed of a material such as sheet plastic so as to be readily disposable and yet impervious to fluids. Further, the walls 33, 40, 42 and 44 are of greater vertical heighth than the walls 26, 2%, 3t) and 32 so that the upper marginal edge portions thereof may be folded outwardly and downwardly as at 50, see FIGS. 2 and 3, so as to, overlie the outer surfaces of the walls 26, 23, 30 and 32 as well as the inner surfaces of the walls of the tray 20 disposed above the bottom wall 36 of the tray.

The four corner portions of the tray 20 are provided with fold lines 52 and the material of which the tray 20 is constructed is impervious to water and of a type enabling the tray corner portions and the tray outlet neck 34 to be folded into the positions illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings for compact storage of the tray 20. Further, the tray 20 is constructed of a material that may be deformed in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings when the persons neck 13 is disposed across the upper edge portion of the front wall 26 of the tray 20, thereby enabling the tray front wall 26 to conform f to and form at least a reasonable fluid tight seal between the basin assembly W and the neck 18 of the person 116.

The pad 24 includes upper and lower surfaces 56 and 53 which are inclined relative to each other in order that the lower or bottom wall 53 of the pad 24 may rest upon the upper surface of the bottom wall 36 with the upper surface 56 of the pad generally horizontally disposed. The pad 24 may be constructed of generally the same deformable material from which the tray 20 is constructed and the undersurface or bottom surface 58 of the pad 24 is roughened so as to have a non-skid grip on the upper surface of the bottom wall 36.

In operation, the pad 24 is initially positioned in the approximate center of the bottom wall 36 after the tray 20 has been unfolded from the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings to the operative position illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The roughened undersurface 58 of the pad 24 provides a non-skid grip for the pad 24 on the bottom wall 36 and the liner 22 is thereafter placed within the tray 20 with the outlet neck 48 thereof telescoped downwardly through the outlet neck 34 of the tray 20. The upper marginal portions of the side walls 38, 40, 42 and 44 of the liner 22 are folded outwardly and downwardly over the outer surfaces of the corresponding walls 26, 28, 30 and 32 of the tray 20 with the bottom wall 46 of the liner passing upwardly and over the centrally disposed pad 24. At this point, the hair of the person 16 may be washed after placement of the assembly on the mattress 12 and the person 16 has been positioned as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings with her neck 18 passing over and downwardly depressing the front wall 26 of the tray 20. Of course, the outlet neck 48 has its outlet end 60 positioned over a suitable receptacle 62. On the other hand, if it is desired to at least temporarily retain the initial shampoo fluids within the liner 22, the outlet neck 48 may be initially draped over the upper marginal edge portion of the side wall 32 of the tray 20 so as to prevent the initial hair shampooing fluids from draining from the liner 22. Thereafter, when it is desired to drain the shampooing fluids from the liner 22, the outlet neck 48 of the liner 22 may be dropped downwardly through the outlet neck 34.

After the hair of the person 16 has been shampooed, the liner 22 may be removed from the tray 20 and discarded. The tray 20 may then be rinsed or washed and folded into the position illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings for storage until subsequent use is desired.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A bed shampoo basin assembly comprising an upwardly opening tray of shape retaining and deformable material defined by upstanding opposite front and rear and opposite side peripheral wall portions and a bottom wall supported from and extending between said peripheral wall portions with the bottom wall spaced below the upper marginal portions of said peripheral wall portions, the lower marginal portions of said peripheral wall portions lying in generally the same horizontal plane, said bottom wall being generally planar and downwardly inclined toward the lower marginal edge of one peripheral wall portion and said tray including an outlet opening at least closely adjacent the juncture between said one peripheral wall portion and said bottom wall with the other peripheral wall portions projecting downwardly below the corresponding portions of said bottom wall, and a fluid impervious liner removably disposed within said tray and conforming to the interior of said tray, said liner including an outlet neck opening outwardly and downwardly therefrom registered with and extending outwardly through said outlet opening,said liner being constructed of flexible fluid impervious sheet material and including peripheral wall portions joined at one set of corresponding edge portions by means of an integral bottom wall extending therebetween, the bottom wall of said liner being disposed over and conforming to the inclination of the bottom wall of said tray, the peripheral walls of said liner being of greater vertical extent than the vertical extent of the peripheral wall portions of said tray projecting above the bottom wall of said tray, the upper portions of the peripheral walls of said liner being foldable outwardly and downwardly for overlying the outer surfaces of the peripheral wall portions of said tray, the portions of said peripheral wall portions of said tray above said bottom wall having fold lines and including bendable portions extending along the junctures of said peripheral wall portions and said bottom wall and relatively foldable adjacent end portions for folding of said peripheral wall portions above said bottom wall inwardly over the latter.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said tray includes an outlet neck projecting outwardly and downwardly therefrom and whose inlet end is defined by said outlet opening, said outlet neck of said liner loosely extending through said outlet neck of said tray.

3. The combination of claim 1 including a wedgeshaped pad body constructed of at least somewhat resilient and deformable material supported on the upper surface of said bottom wall of said tray beneath said liner, the upper surface of said pad body being generally horizontally disposed when said tray is supported on a generally horizontal surface.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the undersurface of said pad body is roughened to have a frictional grip on the uppersurface of the bottom wall of said tray. l k 

1. A bed shampoo basin assembly comprising an upwardly opening tray of shape retaining and deformable material defined by upstanding opposite front and rear and opposite side peripheral wall portions and a bottom wall supported from and extending between said peripheral wall portions with the bottom wall spaced below the upper marginal portions of said peripheral wall portions, the lower marginal portions of said peripheral wall portions lying in generally the same horizontal plane, said bottom wall being generally planar and downwardly inclined toward the lower marginal edge of one peripheral wall portion and said tray including an outlet opening at least closely adjacent the juncture between said one peripheral wall portion and said bottom wall with the other peripheral wall portions projecting downwardly below the corresponding portions of said bottom wall, and a fluid impervious liner removably disposed within said tray and conforming to the interior of said tray, said liner including an outlet neck opening outwardly and downwardly therefrom registered with and extending outwardly through said outlet opening,said liner being constructed of flexible fluid impervious sheet material and including peripheral wall portions joined at one set of corresponDing edge portions by means of an integral bottom wall extending therebetween, the bottom wall of said liner being disposed over and conforming to the inclination of the bottom wall of said tray, the peripheral walls of said liner being of greater vertical extent than the vertical extent of the peripheral wall portions of said tray projecting above the bottom wall of said tray, the upper portions of the peripheral walls of said liner being foldable outwardly and downwardly for overlying the outer surfaces of the peripheral wall portions of said tray, the portions of said peripheral wall portions of said tray above said bottom wall having fold lines and including bendable portions extending along the junctures of said peripheral wall portions and said bottom wall and relatively foldable adjacent end portions for folding of said peripheral wall portions above said bottom wall inwardly over the latter.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said tray includes an outlet neck projecting outwardly and downwardly therefrom and whose inlet end is defined by said outlet opening, said outlet neck of said liner loosely extending through said outlet neck of said tray.
 3. The combination of claim 1 including a wedge-shaped pad body constructed of at least somewhat resilient and deformable material supported on the upper surface of said bottom wall of said tray beneath said liner, the upper surface of said pad body being generally horizontally disposed when said tray is supported on a generally horizontal surface.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the undersurface of said pad body is roughened to have a frictional grip on the uppersurface of the bottom wall of said tray. 